Sunday, October 21, 2007

Saute fresh mushrooms and squid

funnel chanterelle and golden chanterelle

Are you a choosy person when come to shopping? Me? For shoes, trying on and tromping around. Milk and egg, digging out the freshest ones (but no messing up). Fruit, f.e.e.l. (definitely no pressing). Fish, as Sher said, even talking to them if I could! No wonder why I start questioning myself am I too much when I see how people shop in here (in general). At a shoe boutique, a young lady tucked her hands in pockets, patiently listening the shop assistant explaining things (I guess about style, color and material...) for...errr... 20 minutes. At market, customers spent lot more time in, not choosing, but discussing with vendors. Some vendors may hand them a small wedge of fig or a grape to taste, then, people happily leave the food alone, vendors would pick for them.

funnel chanterelle

This month is mushroom's season, alleys and alleys of mushrooms explict Autumn's golden hue or the most exquiste shapes alluring customers. I had a good self-control and didn't touch these delicate guys, all left to the vendor. When came to the fishman, trouble! I just couldn't! Merely rely on looking (or talking) to judge is just not in my book. I picked out a few, got (kind of) scolded. The vendor picked the rest for me...

In this recipe I've used two different chanterelle mushrooms, they are the vehicle of delivering the most sensational texture: velvety yet with some bit. Don't ever try to look for a va-va-room flavor, which is not what I intend in this recipe anyway. Combined with fresh squid, topped with a poach egg, I felt my tongue teased by silk!

Recipe (yield 4 servings as the first course)

4 poached eggs

4 small squids, cleaned and skinned, sliced

about 10 oz fresh mushrooms of different types, preferable with delicated texture (e.g. the above said or enoki is also great), wiped clean, slice them if neccessary

1/4 medium yellow onion, finely sliced

a bit of lime juice

chives, finely diced

crush red peppers

vegetable oil

salt and (white) ground pepper

How-to:

Pre-heat a skillet (at the same time to heat a pot of water for poaching eggs) , drizzle some oil, saute the onion for a minute or 2, add mushroom, keep the heat on medium. Once the mushrooms start changing color, add squid and salt, you may need to raise up the heat. It may only take 2 minutes to get the squid cooked (don't over-cook!).

Oh, my gosh, you and I better never going shopping together. We'd never make it out! I take forever making decisions. I wouldn't take long to decide to buy those mushrooms though. They are perfect and so lovingly photographed.

I'm picky too. I wasn't like that a few yrs ago but as i educate myself more n more in the culinary i get pickier. I 'd even come back without the item if it wasn't up to mark ... sometimes i wonder if thats a good thing. I love the first photograph here. Fantastic light and like the composition with the jutes sack.This dish looks fab !

hey that girl in the pic reminds me of your friend's daughter in the US, remember she used to be in there at many of the backdrops.You must have made friends there too...how nice. Now you need some vendor friends :D

chanterelle!!! thats whatb they are called...I didn't know what they were called in English...in Norwegian they are called kantereller (close but not quite)...these are the mushrooms I picked with the kids and D if you remember? Brilliant recipes and photos!